Paprika Chicken and Onions with Spiced Sweet Potato and Apple Mash

Here's a yummy dinner that Jeff and I made up tonight. Jeff was in charge of the chicken, and I did the potatoes. Jeff altered a George Foreman recipe for Chicken Paprika Rub, and thought it would be neat to cook the chicken with chopped-up onion all wrapped in foil. It cooked up in its own juices, creating a deliciously moist and flavorful main dish. As far as chicken goes, this was absolutely amazing!

We had a sweet potato that needed to be used, so decided to create a sweet side dish that would complement the savory spiciness of the chicken and onions. I looked up "mashed sweet potatoes" on allrecipes.com, and took elements from lots of different recipes to create this one. The potato mash I came up with was a bit more wet than I would have liked. Next time I think I'll use sour cream or whipping cream instead of milk. But on the whole it turned out quite good. Zaylee didn't end up caring for it on its own, but enjoyed using it to dip her chicken in - she loves dipping foods!

Paprika Chicken and Onions
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1 onion, diced

Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl. Coat the chicken with the seasoning mixture. Cut two pieces of foil, 12x12 inches. Place 1/2 chopped onion on each piece of foil, top each with one seasoned chicken breast. Fold foil around chicken and onion. Place foil packets in a 9x13 pan and bake. We took a while figuring out the right temperature with this. We started them at 325, then realized they were cooking too slow, and turned up the temperature a few times until they ended up being at about 425. Cooking time will vary according to oven temperature - just cook until the chicken is completely done (juices run clear).

1 chicken/onion packet = 280 calories

Spiced Sweet Potato and Apple Mash
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks (I used Red Delicious)
6 large marshmallows
2-4 tbsp. milk
2-4 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Place sweet potato and apple into large saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil over medium-high heat until the sweet potato is tender. Drain.

Immediately place sweet potato and apple into a large mixing bowl and add other ingredients. Stir around to cover marshmallows. Cover bowl and let sit for a few minutes to help the marshmallows melt. Using an electric mixer, beat mixture until it is mostly smooth, only a little bit chunky. Taste and add salt, sugar, etc. as needed.

Yield 6 servings
1 serving = 100 calories

Original recipe for George Foreman's Chicken Paprika Rub
1/2 cup paprika
1 tbsp. dried parsley
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. cayenne powder
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Makes 1/2 cup.